MILWAUKEE: GUARDS: BRANDON KNIGHT slides into Brandon Jennings' point guard slot, but he's a much different player. Knight hasn't proven capable of running the point, and may eventually settle in as an undersized shooter . . . O.J. MAYO will be the focal point of this offense. He should build on his career-best year in Dallas . . . GARY NEAL will give them some instant offense as a sixth man . . . LUKE RIDNOUR provides Knight insurance, and the ability to play either guard spot. He should fit nicely alongside Mayo for stretches . . . KHRIS MIDDLETON could crack the rotation as a capable defender with upside as a shooter . . . Second-rounder NATE WOLTERS must knock down jumpers if he's going to get off the bench. FORWARDS: ERSAN ILYASOVA will once again have to earn his starter's minutes, as the Bucks have loaded up on quality frontcourt depth. He provides more offense than anyone else on the front line . . . CARON BUTLER should start at small forward for this team after freeing himself before ever having to play in Phoenix . . . CARLOS DELFINO will play a key role scoring off the bench. He's a streaky long-range gunner, but defends well enough to stay on the court . . . JOHN HENSON is on the verge of a breakout as an elite rebounder and shot-blocker. He's still a bit behind offensively, which could hold him back in a crowded post rotation . . . GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO was the most intriguing project in a weak draft, but the teenager is nowhere near ready for NBA action. He'll likely see time in the D-League until the second half of the season. CENTERS: We've loved LARRY SANDERS for years, and last year showed why. He's a Defensive POY candidate with a budding offensive game . . . ZAZA PACHULIA reunites with head coach Larry Drew as muscle off the bench . . . EKPE UDOH is likely on the outside looking in for this rotation.

NEW YORK: GUARDS: RAYMOND FELTON is still the best the Knicks can do at point guard. With his shortcomings in the half court, head coach Mike Woodson's desire to go up-tempo should play to Felton's skill set a little bit better . . . IMAN SHUMPERT should be ready for a slightly bigger role. He's their best perimeter defender and a good enough spot-up shooter to play off Carmelo Anthony . . . J.R. SMITH's offseason knee surgery is a bit of a concern, as is the fact that he's no longer in a contract year. Still, the reigning Sixth Man of the Year should light it up on many nights . . . PABLO PRIGIONI will be Felton's primary back-up. He disappears at times, but can at least knock down threes . . . BENO UDRIH will provide quality backup minutes after another solid year seeing big minutes in Orlando'TIM HARDAWAY JR. is likely looking at a redshirt year in 2013-14. FORWARDS: Last year was CARMELO ANTHONY's dream offense, with lots of isolation plays. With his improved three-point shot, Melo should make a run at a second-straight scoring title . . . ANDREA BARGNANI might start by default, but he's more suited to a part-time role as a one-dimensional floor spacer . . . Expect to see a lot of lineups with either Anthony or METTA WORLD PEACE at the four. MWP is still good enough defensively to justify his erratic shot selection . . . AMAR'E STOUDEMIRE will likely be limited to a part-time role due to injuries. He'll try to re-invent himself as a second-unit scorer . . . KENYON MARTIN will be counted on to play some four and five off the bench . . . Athletic rookie C.J. LESLIE is ticketed for the D-League. CENTERS: TYSON CHANDLER will be relied on heavily on the glass for what could be the weakest rebounding team in the NBA. The Knicks would like to keep his regular-season minutes down, but they may be forced to play him a lot if they're going to get home court in a first-round playoff series . . . The Knicks will try to develop JEREMY TYLER into a useful No. 2 center.

(AP) - The starting lineup still isn't finalized and the bench will be weakened. Not the ideal way for the New York Knicks to start a season.

They were blistering at the beginning last season, blowing out Miami in their opener en route to a 6-0 record, a win shy of their best start ever. They had at least a share of the Atlantic Division lead every day and won it for the first time since 1994.

"Last year is over in my mind," Carmelo Anthony said Tuesday. "We accomplished what we accomplished last year. This is a new season for me, for us, and we're ready to go out there and play."

It starts Wednesday night against Milwaukee at Madison Square Garden, with Anthony perhaps back at the power forward spot and J.R. Smith not in the arena while he serves a five-game suspension for violating the NBA's anti-drug program.

Coach Mike Woodson said he wouldn't decide on his lineup until Wednesday, though hinted that he was leaning toward moving Anthony back to the position he's played most of the last 1 1/2 seasons, after previously planning to go with a conventional lineup that would have the NBA's leading scorer at his normal small forward spot.

"We've been successful here with Melo playing a lot of 4 and we haven't experimented a whole lot with him playing 3 until this exhibition season," Woodson said, "and so I mean I just feel like I don't want to go away from it a lot in terms of him playing at the 4 spot."

Woodson started newcomer Andrea Bargnani and Anthony together in the preseason, but both shot poorly. Sending Bargnani to the bench and shifting Anthony back to the big forward spot likely moves Metta World Peace into the starting lineup.

Woodson also said Amare Stoudemire would be in uniform, but wouldn't decide how he would use Stoudemire or Kenyon Martin until talking to the forwards Wednesday so they could discuss ways to keep both healthy. Woodson said it was a "little sticky" that his rotation was unsettled, but insisted he had plenty of options.

"I do know there was a lineup that was pretty successful last year that worked for us that I could always go back to," Woodson said.

But he can't call upon Smith, who averaged 18.1 points last season and won the Sixth Man of the Year award.

"I can't worry about that," Anthony said. "We know J.R.'s situation, we're waiting for him to come back, do his penalty, sit his five games and come back ready. The guys that's out there in place of that got to step up. Just because J.R. is out, that doesn't mean that we shouldn't have to come out and play as hard as we should."

Anthony dismissed comments made a day earlier by TNT analysts Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith, who said Anthony should focus on trying to recruit players to join him in New York, rather than his option to become a free agent next summer.

"I don't listen to that guy. Not at all," Anthony said, referring to Barkley.

"I haven't had a complaint yet in my 10, 11 years in this NBA about playing with me. I think people would love to come to play in New York, and when that time comes, we'll be working on that. I have a big black book, I have a big rolodex, so people that talk about what's going on with me in the offseason and this and that, and I should be getting people to come here, I am. I'm trying."

The Knicks know it will be easier with another strong season and believe they will have one, even if they don't match last year's start.

"I truly want to build on what we did last year," Woodson said. "I mean, last year is last year, but it was a good season for our ballclub and our fans here in New York. The ultimate goal is to win a title and it starts tomorrow night in terms of how we step on the floor and how we play."

Woodson's team has won five in a row against Milwaukee and will try to extend that run against a banged-up and new-look Bucks club that's playing its first season under coach Larry Drew.

The injury list includes starting power forward Ersan Ilyasova (ankle) and backup big man Ekpe Udoh (right knee). Swingman Carlos Delfino, one of 11 offseason acquisitions, has been sidelined by a right foot injury.

"It's not easy," said Drew, who came to Milwaukee after three seasons with Atlanta - each of which saw the team make the playoffs. "I was hoping we'd have everybody going through training camp because it's a process, a process of me teaching and them learning."

The biggest change is the Bucks' overhauled backcourt, with Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis departing in favor of Brandon Knight (13.3 points and 4.0 assists per game with Detroit) and O.J. Mayo (15.3 points, 4.4 assists, 3.5 rebounds with Dallas).

The team has also added forward Caron Butler and guard Luke Ridnour.

Ilyasova, who averaged 13.2 points and 7.1 rebounds last season, is uncertain to play Wednesday, while Udoh is probably out.

"If we're going to get hurt let's get it (done) now, rehab and get stronger, ready to go," Mayo said.

The teams' most recent matchup came at MSG on April 5, a 101-83 Knicks victory in which Anthony had 41 points and 14 rebounds while Smith added 30 and 10.